Fastener for holding papers.



PATBNTBD JAN. 17, 1905.

LWESTBNHOPF.

PASTENER FOR HOLDING PAPERS.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 21, 1901.

UNITE STATES Patented January 1'7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

' JULIUS WESTENHOFF, OF- HANOVER, GERMANY.

FASTENYER FOR HOLDINGIVPAPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 780,396, dated January17, 1905.

. Application filed May 21, 1901. Serial No. 61,221.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J ULIUs WESTENHOFF, a

subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of Hanover, Germany, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for HoldingPapers, of which the following is a specification.

leased to adapt the sheets for ready removal.

The invention consists in the novel construetion, arrangement, andcombination of parts,

as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, and pointedout in the appended claims. I I r In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a'plan view of the improved device. Fig. 2

. is a side view showing the papers clamped in position. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the parts in position to adapt the sheets toheremoved. Fig. 4: is a plan view of a portion of a-modified form of thedevice.

The device is composed of a rigid metal strip a, adapted to be guided inits movements by one or more studs 6, which may be either rough orsmooth on their exterior surface. These studs, as well as the stud 5presently referred to, are secured to a metallic plate 6 firmly seatedin a recess in the wooden or other backing a. Secured to the under sideof the strip a are bowed springs 0, adapted to bear 1: pon the sheetsconfined between the strip and the base a, and, as shown in Fig. 1, thestrip is provided along one edge with an extension a and the studs areso arranged as to engage in the angles formed by the lateral edges ofthe extension (1, and the longitudinal edge of the remaining portion ofthe strip. The strip adjacent to its center is provided with aperforation a, through which a centrally located strip a. 'struction,provided with a thumb-piece or ex- It will be noted that the springs areattached tothe strip a at points lying toone side of the centrallongitudinal line of the strip, so that when the strip is forced down byhand upon the confined sheets 6 and'the hand then released the stress ofthe springs causes the strip to tilt somewhat into an oblique positionsufficiently to cause the longitudinal edge of the strip to bind againstthe lateral studs and also the edge of the central perforation a to bindagainst the central stud, the frictional engagement thus produced beingsufiicient to cause the strip to remain in its depressed position,

and thus hold the sheets firmly clamped, all

as seen in Fig. 2. When it is desired to release I the sheets for thepurpose of removing them or any of them, downward pressure is exertedupon the thumb-piece or extension 00 of the strip to cause it to assumea horizontal position, whereby to release the edge of'the strip fromengagement with the studs,and the stress of the springs then forces thestrip upwardly away from the sheets into the position seen in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 4: I show a slightly-modified construction of the device. Inthis figure the extension (4 of the strip a is provided with rectangularopenings a through which studs 6 project. In this construction thecircular stud is dispensed with, and instead of two bowed springs, suchas seen-in Figs. 1 to 3, I employ one lengthened bowed spring 0extending longitudinally of the strip, riveted at b to the The strip ais, as in the other contension a1, and the operation of this form of thedevice is identical with that described with referenceto Figs. 1 to 3.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a backing, and

' studs securedthereto, of a strip provided along one edge with anextension and adapted to be guided in itsmovements the said studs, thesaid extension being provided with a central perforation through whichone of the studsprojects and bowed springs secured to the under side ofthe strip at points to one side of the central longitudinal line of thestrip.

2. The combination with a backing and studs secured thereto, of a stripprovided along one edge with an extension having perforations throughwhich the said studs project, bowed springs secured to the under side ofthe strip at points to one side of the central longitudinal line of thestrip and a thumb- 10 piece carried by the strip at the edge opposite tothe extension of the strip.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

J ULl US \VESTENHOFF. Witnesses:

LEONORE RASCH, J AY W HITE.

